Shock absorber



May 24, 1927. 1,6293@ C. w. GILDEA ET AL.

sHocK AsoRB'ER Filed Auz. 1'?. 1925 2 SheetsSheet 1 'ATTORNEY May 24,1927.

wvl-:mons WMM @Wi Patented May 24, 192'?.

UNITED STATES APATENT oFFlcr..

CHRISTOPHER W. GILDEA AND WILLIAM H. FRY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI;SARAH E. FRY, WIDOV OF, AND BY DEGREE OF COURT OIVNER OF'THE'PROPERTYOF, SAID WILLIAM H. FRY, DECEASED.

.sHocK ABsoRBER.

. Application med August 17, `1925.' Lserial No. 50,638.

OurV invention relates to shock absorbers and more particularly to aldevice Aof that character tor cushioning rebound of the springs of amotor vehicle, the invention contemplating employment ot the ordinary'clock spring check as a recoil tor therebound check band and torabsorbing initial torce ot the rebound shocks, together with anauxiliary absorber which is automatically broughtl into gradual actionas the -rebound progresses, the principal object of the invention beingto eliminate shocks due to rebound ot the vehicle, byy graduallyabsorbing tlieshocks irrespective of the degree or speed Y of therebound.

In accomplishing this object we have provided improved details ofstructure, the preferred forms of which are shown in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein Y vFig. 1 is a shock absorber embodying ourimprovements andv illustrating. application of the device to a vehicletrame and axle.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2`2 (Fig. 1).

Fig. 3 is a detail section of the hub portion of the device,illustrating position of the cams in substantially their extreme limitof shock absorbing movement.

vFig. et is a detail perspective` view of the several parts ot thedevice, separated but in relative arrangement.

Referring more in detailito thedrawings,

1 designates an element of a vehicle frame andv 2, the axle.

3 designates a housing comprising a base l et dishe'd at its centralportion and provided with a spacing disk 5 that bears against the faceof the vehicle frame member 1 and .is secured to the housing member bystuds 6, the housing member 'further comprising a .rim tiange 7 forenclosing the .operating f elements hereinafter described.

Extending through an aperture Sat the center of the housing base member4 and through registering apertures in the spacing disk 5 andtramemember 1 is the threaded shank 9 ot an axle stud 10, the studhaving an offset shoulder 11 bearing lagainst the body oit' the housingbase, and the shank carrying a nut 12 whereby the axle stud and housing.may -be securely attached to the trame member. VSurrounding the stud 10I14- comprising a hub 15 that is rotatable on the axle stud 10, adiaphragm 16 having its outer face in trictional contact with the .fixeddisk 13 to function as a friction brake member in co-operation with thedisk 13, and a troughed rim 17 Afor seating a rebound check band 18 aspresentlydescribed.

The end of the hub member 15 is cam grooved, and loosely mounted on theaxle Stud 10 is an actuator consisting of a. collar 19 having a cam lobe20 seating within the cam groove of the housing hub member so that whenone ot the' cam members turns relative to the other, they will tend tospread longitudinally along the axle stud. The spread ot' the collar isresisted by an expansion spring 21 surrounding the axle stud and bearingagainst the end of the collar and against a washer 22 held on the stu-dbyanut 23 on 'the threaded shank 24 on the .end of the stud. Surroundingboth the hub spring, but also holding the collar against rotation on thestud while permitting longitudinal -movement of the collar along thestud. The outer end of the recoil spring 'is fixed to the drum lll,preferably by means ot a hook 28 Von the end ot the, rebound check band18L which seats in the trough-like rim of the housing 14 and exten-dsthrough a slot 29 in the rim and through a registering groove 30 in therecoil spring. The opposite end of the band 18 is anchored to the axle2` by a clasp 31 of any .suitable construction.

The trough ot the housing 14 is preferably formed by a iiange 32integral with one edge of the drum member. and a flange-33 on a looserim 34 which is adapted to slip over the rim 17 and serves to confinethe spring in the housing as wellv as to hold the rebound check bandwithin the trough. The

.outer face ofthe housing is'closed by a cover plate 35,l having aflange 36l fitting over the vperiphery of the housing rim and havingV acentral dome 3T tor enclosing the cam spring, the top oit the domehaving a central aperture 38 through which the axle stud is projected.so that the top ot the dome may be located between the nut and thewasher 22 to hold the cover member secnrely to the axle stud.

Assuming that the parts are constructed and assembled as described, therecoil andl cam springs are put under a iiornial tension so that whenthe vehicle body is in its normal relation to the axle, there is a pullon the rebound check band, and the iiriction disk members 13 and 16 arein close contact, the collar 19 being slightly spread from its nestingrelation with the hub 15 as indicated in Fig. 1. l/Vith the device inthis condition, ordinary road shocks will cause the absorber springs toexpand and contract and the cam members to shi'l't on each other torelieve and exert pressure oi' the disk members on each other during thedown and up movement ot' the body, the detailed action ot the partsbeing as iiollows:

Assuming that an uneveiiness ot the road. is encountered, the body otthe vehicle compresses the vehicle springs so that the frame member 1approaches the axle 2. The absorber springs being normally undertension, expand upon the down movement ot the body, the recoil springrotating the drum iii a direction to wind the rebound check band on thedrum and `take up any slack which the movement ot' the vehicle mayoccasion. yl`liis movement ot the drum turns the cam eiid ot' the hub sothat the lobe on the collar cam can be pushed inwardly by the yexpansionspring 21, thereby relieving pressure oit' the rotatable drum disk onthe fixed disk that is attached to the housing. Immediately upon returninovement ot the vehicle under 'tension ot its springs, the reboundcheck band pulls on the drum to rotate it against the tension of therecoil spring, this rotation of the drum turning the hub cam against thecollar cam, forcing the collar cam against the tension of thecompression spring, and the drum disk against the stationary disk. Asrotation oi? the drum continues, movenient ot the collar cam is resistedby tension ot' the expansion spring and the drum disk is forced againstlthe liked disk with increasing pressure, the tension disks acting as abrake to retard rotation oii the drum, and consequently, the upwardmovement ot the vehicle.

It is apparent that as the cam shift is positive and gradual, pressureot the drinn disk against the fixed disk is also positive and gradual,and that as the shiit of the collar cam is against Vthe tension of theexpansion spring, increase oit pressure ot one ot the brake disksagainst the other is also gradual until limit of compression ot theexpansion .s rino' is reached when the )arts are ost is further apparentthat the recoil spring, while primarily serving merely as a windingelement for the rebound shock band, alsoserves to check theii'ebounduntil the pressure brake takes hold, themai or part of `thework, however, being done by the positively acting friction brake.

\ Vilhat we claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is:

1. A shock absorber comprising, in conibiiiatioii with liked androtatable brake disk members, an actuator in cam relation to therotatable brake disk member, a recoil spring connected with therotatable brake disk meinber, and means restraining the actuator, saidmeans being yieldable to permit camming movement on the rotatable brakemember.

2. In a shock absorber, a iiXed friction brake member, a rotatablefriction brake member comprising a cam element, a longitudinally movablecam member cio-operative with the rotatable brake member, means'yieldingly restraining said cam member, a

recoil spring connected with the rotatable brake member and a reboundcheck band connected with said rotatable brake member.

3. A shock absorber comprising a drum housing, a friction disk Xed tosaid housing, an axle within the housing, a drum rotatable on said axlewithin the housing and having a friction disk member co-opera'ting withthe liked disk member and having a cani-shaped hub, a collar slidablelongitudinallyon the axle member cam-shaped to co-operate with saidcam-shaped hub, a'n expansion spring coniined within the housing andyieldingly restraining said collar, a recoil spring anchored to the drumand to the aXle, and a rebound check band connected to the drum.

4. A shock absorber comprisinga housing, 'a `friction disk fixed in thehousing, an axle member iiXed with relation to the housingl and having alongitudinal spline groove, a

drum having a cani-shaped hub port-ion rol tatable on the axle andhaving a friction disk member co-operative with the fixed disk inember,a recoil spring wound about the hub and collar having a lip splining thecollar to the axle and anchoring the spring, the opposite y end of thespring being attached to the drum, a retainer on the axle, an expansionspring confined between the collar and the retainer. and a rebound checki the drum.

5. In combination with relatively movable members, a brake disk iixed ononeot the members, a brake disk rotatably and laterally movable on saidmember and having a cam tace, an actuator on said membery having a ca'mi'ace co-opciative with -the cam tace onY said rotatable brake disk,a-recoil member connecting the rotatable brake disk with the bandconnected with other relatively movable member and resistiiig` rotationof said brake disk in one direction and resilient means urging said camfaces into engagement whereby the rotatable brake disk is cainiiiedtoward tlie fixed brake disk upon rotation of said rotatable brake diskin tlie opposite direction.

G. In combination ivitli relatively movable members, a brake disk iiXedon one of t-lie 10 members, la brake disk rotatably and laterally Witlithe cam face on said rotatable brake disk, an expansive springyieldingly resist- 15 thereof, and a coiled spring resisting rota- 20tion ot' said disk in tlie opposite direction.

In testimony Wliereot we affix our signatures.

VILLIAM HJFRY. CHRISTOPHER lV. GILDEA.

